Broadband Breakfast Panel Emphasizes Need for Better Mapping to Maximize Infrastructure Bill Money
Funds made available by the infrastructure bill will not need solid maps to make spending efficient, experts agree.
WASHINGTON, November 11, 2021 – A critical step to maximizing the Congress-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill is crafting innovative mapping to pinpoint areas of focus for the billions of dollars in money going to broadband projects, experts hosted by Broadband Breakfast said Wednesday.
Following more than a decade of inefficient attempts from the Federal Communications Commission to map broadband needs nationally and continued lagging of current FCC mapping projects, individual states — Georgia has been one standout that is taking that initiative head-on — may need to create their own maps to meet timelines for funding allocated by the new bill. That’s despite FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel saying recently that she’s optimistic that the agency is developing the best wireless maps in the country, as the agency reels from errors made in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse auction.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said during a Tuesday press conference about the infrastructure bill that the department will be working closely with the FCC’s mapping data.
Once the bill is signed into law, there will be a six-month period in which National Telecommunications and Information Administration can disburse the $42 billion it will get for broadband infrastructure based on need found through mapping efforts, said Public Knowledge’s director of government affairs Greg Guice during Wednesday’s panel discussion.
Under the bipartisan infrastructure bill, each state will receive $100 million in addition to further funding that is allocated based on the number of households in need present in the state.
Per Guice, some of the most useful maps for figuring out where funding is necessary will come from overlaying data such as metrics on internet speed and demographic information that covers income and ethnicity distributions in localities. Demographic information is especially important for addressing issues such as digital redlining, the perpetuation of already existing inequities among marginalized groups through digital technologies.
Steps in the right direction for effective mapping
Still, despite agreement between all the panelists that past mapping practices hinder effective broadband funding disbursement, the panel also lauded recent efforts to improve mapping practices.
Guice commended an FCC request for proposal that seeks to create a “robust” maps in terms of the information it can provide. Gary Bolton, president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, expressed hope about the impacts that crowdsourcing efforts could have in creating accurate broadband maps.
Steve Pastorkovich, senior director of broadband funding and development for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative also hailed increased flexibility put in place for the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund as helpful in mitigation of the problems that subpar mapping practices have created for fund disbursement.
Our Broadband Breakfast Live Online events take place on Wednesday at 12 Noon ET. You can watch the November 10, 2021, event on this page. You can also PARTICIPATE in the current Broadband Breakfast Live Online event. REGISTER HERE.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 12 Noon ET — Unpacking the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act
The passage of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act presents an unparalleled opportunity for advocates of Better Broadband, Better Lives. In this “breaking news” edition of Broadband Breakfast Live Online, officials from the broadband industry, including public interest advocates, will talk about the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, how they see the core provisions included within, and next steps for action in developing broadband projects.
Panelists for this Broadband Breakfast Live Online session:
- Greg Guice, Director of Government Affairs, Public Knowledge
- Gary Bolton, President and CEO, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA)
- Steve Pastorkovich, Senior Director, Broadband Funding & Development, NRTC
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
See House Passes Bipartisan Broadband Infrastructure Bill, But Without Reconciliation Measure, and Industry and Non-Profit Groups Offer Uniformly Positive Views of Broadband Bill’s Passage, Broadband Breakfast, November 6, 2021
Greg Guice is the Director of Public Knowledge’s Government Affairs team, where he focuses on outreach on the full complement of Public Knowledge’s issues and policy recommendations to promote broadband access and technological innovation. Greg has more than 20 years of experience working on legislative and regulatory issues affecting today’s technology market.
Gary Bolton serves as president and CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association — the largest trade association in the Americas dedicated to all-fiber-optic broadband. With more than three decades in the telecom industry, Bolton joined the Fiber Broadband Association as president and CEO in 2020 after serving on the association’s board as vice chairman, treasurer and vice chairs of public policy and marketing committees. Prior to taking the leadership role at the Fiber Broadband Association, he spent 11 years at ADTRAN serving as vice president of global marketing and government affairs.
Steve Pastorkovich is NRTC’s Senior Director, Broadband Funding & Development, and has advocated on behalf of rural broadband providers in the nation’s capital for over 20 years. He spearheaded NRTC’s funding initiatives, including work on the Rural Utilities Service’s ReConnect broadband loan and grant program, and the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund reverse auction. Prior to NRTC, he spent 20 years working for rural telecommunications trade associations.
Drew Clark is the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Drew brings experts and practitioners together to advance the benefits provided by broadband. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of a State Broadband Initiative, the Partnership for a Connected Illinois. He is also the President of the Rural Telecommunications Congress.
Panelist Resources:
- Statement of Gary Bolton of the Fiber Broadband Association.
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As with all Broadband Breakfast Live Online events, the FREE webcasts will take place at 12 Noon ET on Wednesday.
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